As we have said previously, the Gospel of Matthew reveals three aspects of the kingdom of the heavens. In Matthew 5, 6, and 7 we see the reality of the kingdom. There the kingdom is revealed in a real, pure, and genuine manner. Those who are in the reality of the kingdom are poor in spirit, pure in heart, have the surpassing righteousness, do the will of God, and have become like little children. How pure and genuine the kingdom is in this portion!
The second section, however, in Matthew 13 has three terrible things: the tares, the great tree grown out of proportion, and the leaven added to the fine flour. There is a great contrast between these two sections. They are so different that it may seem these are two different kingdoms. But actually this is one kingdom with two aspects. The first aspect is the reality of the kingdom, and the second aspect is the outward appearance of the kingdom.
The last section of Matthew concerns the manifestation of the kingdom when the Lord Jesus will come back to the earth. When the Lord Jesus comes back, He will bring the kingdom with Him, and that will be the manifestation of the kingdom. The two parables in Matthew 25 are very significant. They show us that, at the manifestation of the kingdom, some of the saints will enter into the joy of the Lord, and others will not. In the parable of the ten virgins, the five wise virgins will enter into the marriage feast, but the five foolish virgins will be shut out and sent to buy oil. This indicates that the five wise virgins are living in the reality of the kingdom, but the five foolish ones are not. Then in the parable of the talents, the five-talented servant and the two-talented servant were able to enter into the joy of the Lord, but the one-talented servant was not. The servant with one talent missed the joy and also was put into darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. Please do not ask me where this darkness will be and what kind of darkness this will be. I cannot tell you. But I do know that we have such a word out of the Lord's mouth and such a word written in the Holy Scriptures. If you appreciate John 3:16, you must also appreciate Matthew 25:28-30. You cannot simply pick up some words of the Lord according to your own taste. This is what many Christians do. They pick up verses that fit their own concept. They like to quote John 3:16, but they rarely quote Matthew 25:28-30. We do need this gospel of the kingdom. John 3:16 is good for the matter of life, but today many Christians need to hear the gospel of the kingdom. This is our great commission, not to preach baptism by immersion, but to preach the gospel of the kingdom.
Some Christians today do not like to receive the book of Matthew, saying it relates only to the dispensation of the Jews. They say Matthew is not written for Christians and Gentiles, but for the Jews. However, if Matthew is not for us, then the Lord Jesus in chapter one is also not for us. Jesus, Jehovah the Savior, and Emmanuel, God with us, are not for us. It is not logical to say that the Lord Jesus in this book is only for the Jewish believers. In fact, in the church there is no Jew and no Greek (Col. 3:11). If we relegate this book to others, eventually we lose the Gospel of Matthew. It is really foolish to relegate the Gospel of Matthew to others and not to ourselves. If we love John 3:16, we must also love Matthew 25:28-30. If you hang a plaque of John 3:16 upon your wall, then surely you should also hang up a plaque of Matthew 25:28-30.